


how (not) to harbor a crush

by jeonkwon



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: M/M, i am a soft stan okay, i love our pink sausage duo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 11:11:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13270224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeonkwon/pseuds/jeonkwon
Summary: Woojin has a crush on Jihoon, and self-proclaimed love gurus Ongniel is Science are of no help.





	how (not) to harbor a crush

Park Jihoon was born with the most beautiful features and personality a human could ever possess. 

At least, that’s what Woojin thinks, but he doubts he’s wrong anyway.

From across the room, laughter bubbles out from Jihoon’s lips as he watches Jaehwan mess with Minhyun. He shakes his damp hair out of his face, soft eyes sparkling as they crinkle with snickers. If Woojin could, he would sue Jihoon for stealing the stars out of the sky and giving them a new home in his eyes, but even if he did, he didn’t know where or how to start a lawsuit anyway so he settles for the injustice that is his erratically beating heart. 

Jihoon’s lips pull back to reveal pearly whites, and damn it, Woojin really hates this because even Jihoon’s teeth are cute. When Jihoon’s eyes sweep across the room in search of Woojin, his laughter dissipates into a lopsided smile. “What are you so serious about?” He asks, throwing his towel at him as he passes by. Woojin scrambles to catch the towel before it hits the floor and ends up throwing half of his body off the bed. 

Woojin plants his feet on the ground and follows Jihoon to the closet, hanging the towel on the drying rack beside them. “Nothing, really.” He answers quietly, rummaging through the clothes for a change in attire more appropriate for bed. 

“You’re always saying nothing.” Jihoon clicks his tongue, and pulls off his sweater in one swift movement. He runs his fingers through his hair a few times in attempt to fix it, then sighs and looks at Woojin. “I wish you’d tell me more things instead of keeping it to yourself.” 

It’s taking every ounce of Woojin’s willpower to not run from Jihoon’s brooding eyes. He feels flustered being looked at under such scrutiny, and what makes it worse is that Jihoon is absolutely sincere about his concern, but he doesn’t even have a clue of what it’s doing to Woojin. He chokes on his saliva and coughs, and instinctively uses it as a way to escape. “I’m gonna go get some water.” He says quickly, and flees the room with hurried steps and a racing heart. 

Outside, Jinyoung and Daehwi are playfully bickering while Seongwoo and Daniel raid through the kitchen cabinets for a late night snack. Woojin slips by Seongwoo and reaches for a cup, hastily filling it with cold water and gulping it down. He lets out a deep breath that turns into a groan as he remembers the look on Jihoon’s face. 

There are plenty of idols who have contrasting characteristics from onstage and offstage, Woojin himself included. The fans acknowledge it, the members acknowledge it, he acknowledges it. Jihoon, thus far, has yet to show more of his aggressive nature in front of cameras that Woojin witnesses so often in the dorm. It’s not that Jihoon is constantly violent and rowdy, but rather, he’s firm and speaks in a deep tone laced with his accent. It threw Woojin off seeing that soft expression on his face different from his usual _I-do-me, you-do-you expression_. And Woojin supposes that could be something in his favor because that means Jihoon is willing to share his feelings openly with Woojin, and that could mean that they have _some_ sort of special relationship, couldn’t it? 

Seongwoo observes the obviously frustrated boy with interest as he takes an obnoxiously loud bite into his apple. “What is the cause of this distress I feel from you, young one?” 

Daniel gives Seongwoo a distasteful look. “You didn’t even wash the apple.” 

The older thumps his chest, a little too hard, Woojin thinks, because he ends up wheezing. “I’m building my immune system.” 

Amidst their distraction, Woojin attempts to make an exit, but Daniel plants his feet before him, stopping him short. “Are those flushed cheeks I see?” 

“It’s hot in here.” Woojin easily lies, tugging at his shirt to fan himself. “I was going to turn up the air conditioning.” 

“Speaking of air conditioning,” Seongwoo starts, sauntering over to the two, “I have to go to my room.” 

Woojin blinks. “That has nothing to do with air conditioning.” 

Seongwoo waves Woojin off with a flick of his wrist. “We’ll find a way to make it work. Come, Woojin.” 

Before he can decline, Seongwoo is hooking an arm under his left armpit, Daniel on the other side. Together, they lead Woojin to their room they share with Jisung, who is now out in the family room with Sungwoon. They seat Woojin onto Daniel’s bed and, in what Woojin finds to be somewhat terrifying, cross their arms and raise a brow in complete synchronization. 

“Has my young one caught the love bug?” Seongwoo asks, a knowing smile growing on his face. If Woojin weren’t busy dying of mortification from being confronted so straightforwardly, he’d be a little more scared of Seongwoo’s expression. 

“Is that even a question? The answer’s written all over his face.” Daniel gestures toward Woojin’s whole visage, emphasizing his blushing cheeks by poking them. 

Still, Woojin tries to keep a front and rolls his eyes. “What are you even talking about? I need to go wash up.” He gets up, about to make a beeline for the door, but is pushed back by a hand on each shoulder from both Seongwoo and Daniel. He looks up, becoming more and more intimidated with each second that passes from the two pairs of eyes that press him for answers. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this terrified of them before. He’s used to seeing Seongwoo crack jokes and throw his body out for gags, and Daniel is usually too busy laughing at whatever Seongwoo is doing to ever seem menacing. 

Of course, there were tense moments during the show when the boys cornered themselves into a time crunch and lost all sense of humor for the sake of their survival in the upcoming elimination round, but not once has Woojin seen them in this light before. And they aren’t even trying to be scary. What Woojin is terrified of is how quickly they were able to read his emotions and hit the nail right on the head. 

So in a quick split second decision, Woojin lets his guards fall because hell, he can trust Seongwoo and Daniel. They’ve been cheering for him since the beginning, and took care of him well during their time together as part of the _Get Ugly_ team. They’re older and have experience, and really, isn’t Woojin the one at a loss if he misses the opportunity to ask for advice? 

He inhales deeply, and lets it out slowly, dropping his eyes to the floor. “I think… “ He begins tentatively, giving himself another chance to back out before he regrets everything and dives into a ten-foot deep hole he’s about to go dig for himself in the courtyard. “I think I like Jihoon? Not like he’s my groupmate, same-aged friend sort of thing, like-”

“You’re in like with Jihoon.” Seongwoo offers. 

Daniel whistles lowly, holding out a hand for Seongwoo to high-five. “That’s a good way to put it.”

Woojin’s eyebrows knit together because to be quite frank, Seongwoo and Daniel’s “Ongniel is Science” shenanigans that they caught on from the fans officially make them the oddest duo he’s ever met, and in Woojin’s whole eighteen years of living, he’s met quite the number of people to compare them to. By no means is he judging them, he’s just… in awe of their unique personalities that seem to compliment the other so well. 

Seongwoo takes a seat on Woojin’s left, throwing an arm over his shoulder and with his other hand, sweeps it across the air before them like he’s trying to paint a scene. “To be in like with someone is a beautiful thing.” 

“It can cause you jealousy, anger, sadness, but most importantly, happiness.” Daniel continues, patting Woojin’s hand comfortingly. Somehow, Woojin feels like they’re just mocking him now, but he’s already made a few terrible decisions tonight, he might as well let them continue. Besides, what can he run away from now? The secret has already been spilled. 

“This is such an exciting stage in life.” Seongwoo claps his hands happily. “You teens are so awkward, it’s great to watch. Didn’t you see Jinyoung and Daehwi out there? Babies.” 

Woojin wipes his clammy hands on his shorts and licks his dry lips. “Well, what can I do? I mean, I don’t know if Jihoon likes me back. I don’t want to say it upfront and make things awkward-”

“Oh, my sweet muffin, you didn’t think I dragged you in here without a plan, did you?” Seongwoo frowns, obviously upset at Woojin’s lack of faith in him. 

“Actually, yeah, I did.” Woojin deadpans, offering Seongwoo’s pride a chance to recuperate with an awkward smile. 

Seongwoo beams. “Well, you’re right! I’m so glad we both know me so well. Since we covered that smoothly, you go on and get ready for bed and by tomorrow morning, Daniel and I will have everything planned out for you. It’ll be great!” 

With that, Daniel pulls Woojin up, ushers him out to the hallway, and his _Goodnight, Woojin! _is cut short as the door clicks shut behind the younger.__

__As Woojin enters his shared bedroom, he nods once at Jihoon who looks up questioningly from the open textbook on his lap, and dives for his comforter, muttering a quick _Night_ to his roommates before shutting his eyes and pinching the skin above his pounding heart in hopes it’ll finally let him get a good night’s rest._ _

__

__The next morning, while Jihoon is busy washing up, Seongwoo and Daniel pull Woojin aside with wide smiles._ _

__“So, first things first,” Daniel begins, “science says if you two maintain eye contact, it’s likely there’s some sort of attraction on both parts. And while you’re at it, smile too.”_ _

__Woojin skeptically raises a brow. “Science says that or did you guys come up with it?”_ _

__“We mean what we say.” Seongwoo quickly dismisses him and pushes him out of their room toward his. “Anyway, that’s your task for today. I’m pretty sure it’s foolproof.”_ _

__“How sure is this ‘pretty sure?’ And why are you giving me tasks?” Woojin warily asks, already feeling the dread pooling in his stomach. He doesn’t feel good._ _

__Daniel vocalizes a pause, staring blankly at Seongwoo for help. The other offers an unconvincing grin and says, “We’re testing the waters, and it’s about ninety percent, give or take a few percentages. I’d say the margin of error is quite small. You can believe us. After all, we are science.” Seongwoo tugs Daniel toward him, planting a big smooch on the younger’s cheek._ _

__Woojin wrinkles his nose. “You guys are so cheesy.”_ _

__The pair pushes him out of the room, teasing him in a singsong voice, “That’ll be you at the end of the day!”_ _

__

__The first day is quite unsuccessful. Other than a few worried remarks from Jihoon about his strained smile and watery eyes (he kept them open for far too long, afraid he’d miss a chance at eye contact with Jihoon in the millisecond that his lids are closed when blinking), there wasn’t much interaction between the two._ _

__However, there is a heartstopping moment just moments before all the members are about to go to bed. Jihoon zooms in incredibly close to Woojin’s face, narrowing his eyes as they observe his features from just inches away before huffing and leaning back in his seat. “You’re not telling me things again.” He concludes, pouting and crossing his arms while looking away, much like a child would when he didn’t get the ice cream he was promised._ _

__Woojin swallows thickly and places a hand over his heart that never seemed to stop beating so loudly when Jihoon is around. As Jihoon angles his face toward him again, Woojin drops his hand, shifting his eyes to the television that no one is really paying attention to anymore; at most, it’s serving as background noise in addition to the chatter among the members present in the family room._ _

__“It’s nothing, really. If something was bothering me, I’d tell you.” Woojin lies, and mentally chides himself for being such a coward. What was so hard with being direct about his feelings? The relief that he’d feel from letting Jihoon know would be so satisfying, because it’s like what everyone says: even if Jihoon doesn’t like him back, his feelings were conveyed, and that’s what matters._ _

__Jihoon seems to believe him though, and holds out a closed fist. “Pink sausages?”_ _

__Woojin smiles, softly touching his knuckles to Jihoon’s. “Pink sausages.”_ _

__

__“Didn’t you see how comfortable you two were after that little fist bump? That’s progress.” Seongwoo points out._ _

__“I guess so, but that didn’t lift the weight off my shoulders. Now I feel even more pressured because one day has passed and Jihoon still doesn’t know.” Woojin mumbles, playing with a thread that hangs loose from his sweater. He rolls it between his fingers, watching it wind up and curl into a ball before unraveling it and repeating the process. After a few moments, he twists the thread around his finger and yanks it off._ _

__“It’s okay,” Daniel reassures with a pat on the shoulder. “Take your time. You don’t have a deadline to meet.”_ _

__Woojin smiles thankfully at the two. He really didn’t think they were going to take this seriously in the beginning, but after what happened yesterday, he can safely say that he thinks they genuinely care about his inner turmoil and really aren’t using it for entertainment purposes._ _

__“Alright, before we get sappy, let us introduce another way you can gauge whether Jihoon’s feelings are mutual all the while subtly letting him know you’re in like with him.” Seongwoo grins, then slaps a hand onto Daniel’s thigh. Daniel winces. Seongwoo shushes him and slowly drags his hand up Daniel’s leg. “Science calls it: subtle touching.”_ _

__Woojin covers his eyes with his hands, cheeks hot in embarrassment. “That doesn’t look very subtle to me.”_ _

__“You won’t be doing it to this extent, that defeats the purpose of the subtle part of it. I was exaggerating for emphasis.” Seongwoo explains, rolling his eyes. “Watch, I’ll demonstrate on Daniel.” He waves the other to take a seat next to him, then launches into how his day was, talking about the things he’s accomplished today, what he ate, what he saw, all that jazz. Woojin’s eyes catch movement from Seongwoo’s hand as it naturally finds a place on Daniel’s knee, his thumb stroking absentmindedly as he continues to narrate his day._ _

__He pauses, looking at Woojin. “That’s one way to do it. But I recommend you go for the hand first. Play with his fingers like how you always play with the sleeve of your shirt when you’re nervous.”_ _

__“Don’t snap them off like you do with loose threads though.” Daniel quickly adds, “Jihoon’s phalanges need to remain unbroken and attached.”_ _

__Woojin nods, trying to picture a scene of him and Jihoon watching a movie, and him reaching over slowly to grab Jihoon’s hands, slipping his fingers between the open spaces and hoping that somehow, it conveys his feelings. “Right. Phalanges. Unbroken and attached.” He repeats, still running through the steps and tips from the others as he reaches for a doorknob and twists it open._ _

__“Uh, Woojin?” Daniel calls from behind him._ _

__Said boy takes a step forward and walks right into a hanging wall of cotton._ _

__“That’s the closet.” Daniel snickers while Seongwoo falls over from laughing too hard. Woojin’s ears go red as he steps back, quickly shutting the door and heading to the one that will actually take him out of the room. “I knew that.”_ _

__

__Woojin is graced with the most opportune time to execute this new approach when Jihoon climbs into Woojin’s bed later that night, forcing the occupant to move over as he reaches down to grab his laptop. The bed is much too small to hold two grown boys on it comfortably, so Woojin ends up pressed between the wall and Jihoon but he finds that he doesn’t really mind because he’s a little cold anyway, and Jihoon’s skin is warm even while wearing just a short sleeve and shorts._ _

__“Want to watch movie?” Jihoon asks, already clicking open Netflix._ _

__“You don’t look like you’re giving me much of a choice.” Woojin grunts as he flips over to view the screen. Honestly speaking, Woojin isn’t quite sure what Jihoon’s intentions are when it’s nearly midnight and they have to be up and at the hair salon by six tomorrow morning, but he isn’t going to let this chance pass up when Jihoon changes his position ten minutes into the movie, complaining about how his back hurt. Woojin props a couple pillows against the wall for the two to lean against as Jihoon rests the laptop stand on his right leg and Woojin’s left leg._ _

__Woojin isn’t really paying attention to the movie, it’s a comedy that has something to do about a planned heist that’s bound to fail, but with all the lights off and the screen’s brightness turned down to the lowest setting, Woojin is more interested in stealing a few looks at Jihoon’s face. His expressions change with each scene, from shock to a scowl to a silent laugh. Every now and then, Jihoon laughs so hard he has to cover his mouth with his hand and bury his face into Woojin’s shoulder, trying to keep quiet as courtesy to the other sleeping members in the room. He repeatedly whacks Woojin’s arm at the humor and Woojin realizes he’s not smiling because of the movie, but because of Jihoon._ _

__He seizes the opportunity to wrap his fingers around Jihoon’s hand, pulling it down reflexively. Eventually, Jihoon calms down from his laughter fit, wiping a tear from his eye with his other hand, but doesn’t bother to move the one in Woojin’s hold. He’s caught off guard when Jihoon slips his fingers between Woojin’s and yanks it up to examine in the dim lighting._ _

__“Your hands are dry.” Jihoon mumbles, “When’s the last time you even put lotion on?”_ _

__Woojin is so taken aback that he struggles to give an answer, only watching with an open mouth as Jihoon gets up, heading toward the dresser. He returns to Woojin’s side with a small bottle of lotion, squirting some into his palm and rubbing it into Woojin’s hands. Woojin’s entire face is probably red because he feels like he’s on fire._ _

__“I can’t believe you were going to shake our fans’ hands with skin like this.” Jihoon chides, tossing the lotion to the foot of the bed._ _

__“Sorry?” Woojin sheepishly offers, thoroughly embarrassed. Jihoon shakes his head with a grin and casually begins to play with Woojin’s hand as he turns his attention back to the movie. Woojin’s gaze drops from the screen to their hands, in disbelief because he is the one that’s supposed to be doing it, not Jihoon._ _

__His brain goes haywire, desperately trying to figure out what he should do but all he comes up with is to pull away and that’s the last thing Woojin wants to do when it’s Jihoon holding his hand. So he sits there, as still as a statue, and waits in agony for the credits to finally roll. Jihoon doesn’t seem to notice Woojin’s dilemma and continues to watch the movie animatedly, all the while playing with Woojin’s fingers absentmindedly._ _

__Despite sitting so closely to Jihoon, Woojin can’t help but begin to feel tired. They had a long schedule today, and it was nearly two in the morning now. The dorm will be lit up in no less than four hours, the boys bustling about it as they try to wash up while eating breakfast simultaneously, Woojin included. His eyelids feel heavy with sleep, head bobbing as he tries to fight off the temptation to close his eyes so he can at least see the ending scene, but to no avail._ _

__His head falls toward his left onto Jihoon’s shoulder, the latter jumping in surprise. Jihoon fondly smiles, brushing the bangs that are due for a trim out of Woojin’s closed eyes. He closes the laptop, releasing Woojin’s hand and scoots over, helping the other to lay down before pulling the blanket over him, whispering “Goodnight, Woojin,” and falling into a slumber beside him._ _

__

__Woojin wakes the next morning to Jisung’s voice as he tells him to hurry and wash up and grab something to eat for breakfast for the car ride because they’re running late. The extra pillow he has on his bed smells oddly of Jihoon’s green apple scented shampoo, but he doesn’t have any time to ponder as Jisung ushers him out of bed and pushes him along to the bathroom._ _

__It’s already crowded in there, Sungwoon singing as he washes his face next to the tub’s faucet, Jinyoung and Minhyun brushing their teeth side-by-side in front of the sink, and Daehwi attempting to control some of his bed hair to relieve the hair stylists of at least some work, no matter how small. Without a word, Jinyoung hands Woojin his toothbrush (the grey one with white and red bristles), while Minhyun gives him the toothpaste. They work efficiently, rotating when Sungwoon is done to accommodate another member that just woke up._ _

__When Woojin finally makes it into the kitchen to grab some on-the-go breakfast, Daniel and Seongwoo are already there, munching on whatever they can get their hands that would constitute as breakfast._ _

__“Alright, kiddo, update us.” Daniel prompts, mouth full of food. Seongwoo tosses a bag of apple crisps to Woojin, who almost drops it, taken by surprise._ _

__“Well,” He begins, “you know how you told me to try subtle touching?_ _

__They nod._ _

__“Jihoon sort of… beat me to it.” He says, skin feeling hot where he remembers Jihoon’s thumb tracing patterns back and forth across the back of his hand._ _

__Seongwoo spits out his milk, eyes wide, mouth open. “My children are growing up.” In Woojin’s opinion, he sounds more horrified than proud._ _

__“What are you guys still doing in there? We gotta go!” Daehwi yells at them as he runs past the kitchen to the front door. Jisung is right behind him, shooing them out of the kitchen and rushing them out the door. Even with just the managers and ten other members, it’s hard to get around without bumping into another, and as they approach the vans in a hurry, Woojin’s forearm is grabbed by a soft hand, pulling him toward the second vehicle._ _

__His wide eyes trace the person from their hand up along their arm to their face, and Woojin is pleasantly surprised when he finds it’s Jihoon that’s guiding him into the last two seats of the back row. In the front, Daniel’s head is angled down, furiously typing away on his phone, and Woojin’s own phone dings just a few seconds later._ _

___**danik**  
take some pics w him, print them out n give it to him as a christmas present  
6:07 AM_

__Woojin reads the text over and over. It’s rare that he takes selfies, how odd would it be for him to suddenly ask Jihoon to take a picture with him?_ _

___**danik**  
and be casual abt it!  
6:08 AM_

__So Woojin opens his camera, angles it as much as he can to capture both of their faces without risking getting caught, and quickly snaps a picture. Just in case it’s blurry, he taps the button a few more times butt then, Jihoon glances over curiously. “What are you doing?”_ _

__Alarmed, Woojin tucks his phone under his thigh. “Nothing.”_ _

__Jihoon nods once, replying with a curt, “Okay.” No matter how hard Jihoon tries to hide it, Woojin can see that Jihoon’s obviously upset, hurt that, once again, Woojin isn’t telling him the truth. Honestly, after all that’s happened, Woojin is surprised Jihoon hasn’t lashed out at him, demanding a truthful answer because that’s what usually happens. Jihoon’s pent up frustration needs to be channeled somewhere, and with the kind of luck that Woojin has, or lack thereof, he often ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffers the brunt end of “dorm” Jihoon’s anger, which typically ends up as a punch to the shoulder._ _

__Woojin does, however, finds it endearing how cute Jihoon can be even when he’s angry, but then again, it isn’t too surprising. Jihoon is so used to pulling out his puppy-eyes and cute acts that Woojin is sure Jihoon has been consuming butterflies and rainbows for the past month or two now in order to keep up his image. Of course, if his diet is such, when he’s angry all he should be able to muster is, at most, a good kick to the shin without feeling too overwhelmingly guilty where he can only go an hour without apologizing. But this isn’t Wanna One’s Park Jihoon that Woojin is dealing with, it’s just Park Jihoon._ _

__It’s been a week since he and Jihoon have talked to each other about things that aren’t relating to their schedule, and Woojin can feel the loneliness and frustration build up slowly deep in his chest. His stomach still churns every time he sees Jihoon, but now rather than his extreme adoration for all that is Jihoon, it’s part longing and nervousness that he’s ruined their relationship._ _

__At this point, he’s close to giving up on Daniel and Seongwoo’s plan of subtleness, and has accepted that yes, he’s a damn coward that can’t even confront his own feelings and could have avoided all of this ridiculousness if he just confessed in the first place. Not that Daniel and Seongwoo are wrong, but these moves don’t seem to be working with Jihoon, or rather, Woojin just doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing, so maybe being straightforward was the way to go from the beginning._ _

__He continues on with Daniel and Seongwoo’s persistence because they mean no harm, they just want to act as catalysts to the development of his relationship with Jihoon. He does everything from wearing the cologne that Jihoon told him he likes more often than usual; he uses scented shampoo and body wash that Jihoon said he liked the smell of; he shows his cool side and his soft side; he purposely leaves his hoodie with Jihoon, wanting to see if he’d wear it one day (he doesn’t); he calls instead of texting just so Jihoon can hear his voice (not that Jihoon picks up the phone anyway)._ _

__In the midst of it all, Woojin keeps trying to snap some pictures to build up a collection for Jihoon’s Christmas present, but with each picture, Jihoon only gets progressively out of reach and Woojin fears that’s exactly what’s happening between them now._ _

__

__The pitter-patter of bare feet across the hardwood floor wakes Woojin as it echos from the other side of the room headed toward the door. Through the light that filters in from the hall, Woojin can see, from the blankets that hang half off a bed with no occupant in it, that it was Jihoon who had gotten up. He rubs the sleep from his eyes, glancing at the clock in the corner. It’s almost half past two in the morning, and like usual, they have to be up in about three hours, but he still gets up anyway and follows the sound of tinkling glass to the kitchen._ _

__Jihoon is standing with his back to Woojin, drinking from a cup of water by the sink. Woojin doesn’t know if he should approach him or stay where he is because either way, Jihoon is going to be startled by his sudden appearance. In the middle of his contemplation, Jihoon turns around, gasping when he sees Woojin._ _

__“Holy shit, you scared the living hell out of me.” Jihoon curses, leaning against the counter for support._ _

__“Well, you woke me up.” Woojin says, shuffling over to take the cup from Jihoon’s hand and fills it again for himself. He’s keeping his calm on the outside, but internally, he’s bursting at the seams, elated to hear Jihoon’s voice being directed at him. He looks at the other over the rim of the cup, noting how Jihoon’s eyes drop to the floor._ _

__“We should go back to bed-”_ _

__“Look, Jihoon,” Woojin interrupts, setting the cup carefully on the counter, “I’m sorry, okay? I know this is probably the worst time to talk about it right now but I really am sorry. I just-” He pauses, not really knowing where he was going with this, nor how he was supposed to explain his behavior to Jihoon without sounding like a complete idiot. “Please talk to me again because I’m suffering from like, I don’t know, a Park Jihoon drought-”_ _

__“Shut up.” Jihoon mutters. Woojin closes his mouth. With a sigh, he shuts his eyes, fists clenched tightly as he blurts out in rapid fire, “I don’t want to hear your excuses because I’m sick and tired of hearing ‘Nothing.’ Why can’t you just tell me you like me?”_ _

__Woojin’s jaw drops in shock. So Jihoon knew. Like he knows what Woojin is thinking, Jihoon scoffs. “Of course, I knew, you idiot. I can’t believe you thought you were being subtle about it. You don’t usually act like that, and it’s not hard to put two and two together after finding out Seongwoo and Daniel were feeding you their ‘Ongniel is Science’ crap. I overheard your conversation with them about the hand-holding and decided to beat you to it, hoping that maybe you’d just tell me after I initiated it, but of course, I’m stupid because you’re hopeless when it comes to things like this and-”_ _

__He stops abruptly when Woojin slips a hand into his. “What are you doing?” He asks, voice slightly higher than usual._ _

__“Mmm,” Woojin hums, trying to find a way to word it out, and _God_ , he hopes he doesn’t regret this because this is taking every ounce of courage he’s ever possessed in his life before, “well, since you said I’m hopeless when it comes to these things, I figured now is the best time to just say it out loud because you just confessed to me by confronting me about my feelings, so that means we’re on the same page, right? I’m not joking or trying to be cliche but my heart is beating like crazy right now and to think that it’s all for you. You’re really going to be the death of me.” _ _

__Woojin licks his dry lips, squeezing Jihoon’s hand once. “So this is me, laying my feelings out for you bare, no trying to be subtle or anything, just me simply saying I like you, Park Jihoon, in hopes that maybe, you feel the same way.” He’s pretty sure his voice is shaking, and his hands feel clammy (or maybe that’s Jihoon’s hands), and yeah, his head feels a little dizzy from the rush of adrenaline, too much for his body to handle so early in the morning when he should be sleeping. He really can’t believe he’s said what he just did, and Woojin is quite proud of himself for doing so without running with his tail tucked between his legs._ _

__After what seems like an eternity, Jihoon’s lips curl up in a cheeky smile. “Tell me that again tomorrow and we’ll see what I have to say about it.” And with that, Jihoon pulls away from Woojin and heads back to bed._ _

__Standing the middle of the kitchen, around two-thirty in the morning, Woojin places a hand over his chest and chuckles quietly in disbelief because wow, he’s in like and his shoulders feel so much lighter now._ _

__

__It’s hard to stay focused all day when Jihoon is constantly keeping Woojin on his toes, opening his mouth to say something, and Woojin thinks it’s going to be an answer, but it turns out to be something relating to their schedule. He keeps blanking out throughout the whole day, and he feels terrible for the burden he gives the other members as they pick up his slack._ _

__After dinner, as the boys scatter throughout the dorm to carry out late-night activities, Jihoon approaches Woojin, tossing him the hoodie he left on Jihoon’s bed days ago, and gestures for him to follow. Woojin shrugs on his hoodie that now smells a lot like Jihoon’s cologne which could only mean one thing. He smiles widely, slipping on his shoes and nearly trips on his way out in a hurry to catch up with the other boy._ _

__Jihoon silently leads them to the courtyard, where a playground is built, and takes a seat on one of the swings. Woojin hesitantly takes the one beside him, and rocks back and forth gently, heels digging into the mulch._ _

__“I like you, too.” Jihoon breaks the silence, looking into the space in front of them. Woojin stops moving, listening keenly. “I guess I’m also sort of an idiot for making you wait a whole day to hear what I’ve already confessed but you made me wait, why can’t I make you?” He laughs quietly, hiding his smile behind his hand. “But, like you said, we’re on the same page now, right? You don’t have to do those stupid subtle ways to flirt things anymore, and I don’t have to play dumb.”_ _

__Woojin chokes on his saliva. “I thought you only knew about the hand-holding incident?”_ _

__“Oh, please, Woojin, would I really be your best friend if I didn’t notice how awkward you were all those times?” Jihoon asks, giving him a pointed look._ _

__“Ah, best friend?” Woojin echos._ _

__“You’re missing the point.” Jihoon rolls his eyes, amused, and stands up. He positions himself in front of Woojin and bends forward, leaning down to meet Woojin at his eye level. “Best friends turned into… something more. Would you be okay with that?”_ _

__“I mean why would I say no, I-”_ _

__Jihoon swoops in, placing a fleeting peck to Woojin’s cheek. He pulls back as a grin graces his features, finding humor in the way Woojin begins to blubber out words that Jihoon can’t understand, but it’s not like Woojin can really control how he reacts because he can’t even fathom what just happened. He thought this was destined to be an unrequited puppy love, but Woojin seems to have been wrong, if the kiss from Jihoon means anything, which he’s quite confident that it does mean something._ _

__“You…” Woojin trails off, lifting his hand to press against his cheek. His skin feels warm, and he isn’t sure if it’s from feeling Jihoon’s lips on his skin, or if it’s because he’s blushing incredibly hard right now, but who is he trying to fool, it’s probably a mix of both._ _

__Jihoon laughs. “It makes us official, right? No more beating around the bush.”_ _

__Woojin nods, still in a slight daze as he gazes at Jihoon. The person he’s been desperately trying to harbor his feelings for for the longest time finally knows now and it didn’t end with world destruction as he had expected. And Woojin may be damned for the rest of his life because what kind of luck did he have to give up for Jihoon to actually reciprocate his feelings? So Woojin stands before Jihoon, and feels a warmth that blossoms in his chest and spreads all the way down to his toes, making him shiver. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad tripping up stairs, having a bad hair day everyday, and losing matching pairs of socks a lot faster than he usually does because if this is how he’ll be feeling for the rest of his days, he’ll take it._ _

__He smiles and echoes Jihoon. “No more beating around the bush.”_ _

__

__Jihoon and Woojin agree that, while in the middle of promotions, it’s best to keep it from the others for the time being until they were actually at home for more than three hours of the day and those extra hours aren’t used for sleeping. But nothing slips past Seongwoo’s hawk-like eyes that catch every change in behavior, especially now for Woojin, and even Jihoon._ _

__Seongwoo is near tears as he and Daniel squeeze Woojin between them in a tight hug. “I told you our plan was foolproof.”_ _

__Woojin smiles happily and keeps quiet about how Jihoon knowing of the plan may have factored into the success of their plan. They worked hard to help Woojin, he isn’t about to ruin it for them. “Thank you for helping me.” He says, and he’s sincere about it, he really is. If they hadn’t given him the support and push that he needed, he thinks he’d still be harboring his crush on Jihoon. Their plan wasn’t the most flawless, in fact, it was far from it, but Woojin looks on the bright side, because two wrongs (or many wrongs, in his case) make a right._ _

__“I can’t believe you’re growing up, finding a boyfriend, making happy memories, getting married-”_ _

__Woojin chokes, cheeks going red. “We’re not getting married! It’s barely been a day since we started dating!”_ _

__“I call best man.” Daniel firmly states, eyeing down Seongwoo. The older narrows his eyes. “You? Best man?”_ _

__Daniel nods. “You can be like, ring bearer or something.”_ _

__“Excuse you-”_ _

__Woojin slips between the two, pushing them away from each other. “There’s no wedding because no one is getting married.”_ _

__“Okay, but hypothetically, who would you and Jihoon choose as best man?” Daniel asks, bottom lip jutting out as he gears up a pout. Seongwoo’s eyes grow sad, looking a little more wet than usual. Woojin gulps, and suggests weakly. “How about you both be the best men?”_ _

__The fire in their eyes dissipate, replaced with a content sparkle. “Fine.” Daniel feigns dissatisfaction and looks away. Seongwoo crosses his arms, “I suppose I can settle with that.”_ _

__Woojin sighs and takes a seat on the bed. He needs some sleep._ _

__

__Later that night, Jihoon crawls into the space beside Woojin, taking up what little room is left on his bed, and squeezes his arms around Woojin until he feels like he’s about to burst. Jihoon’s toes wiggle against Woojin’s legs, grinning as he settles beside him. “So we’re getting married?”_ _

__All of a sudden, it feels too hot. Woojin fans his heated cheeks as he asks, “You heard that conversation?”_ _

__Jihoon nods. “Of course. Seongwoo has a big mouth.”_ _

__“He gets weird ideas and I guess it’s best he tells someone rather than keep it to himself.” Woojin reasons._ _

__“Like the ideas he planted in your brain about the art of subtlety?” Jihoon playfully teases him._ _

__Woojin’s ears, like usual, turn red, the rest of his face following closely behind shortly after. “It worked to some extent, didn’t it?”_ _

__Jihoon makes a noise of acknowledgement. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe Ongniel really is science.”_ _

__Woojin groans, turning to push his face into his pillow. “Please don’t.”_ _

__“Oh, c’mon, you know the fans love our Pink Sausage duo too.”_ _

__“Yeah, but we’re different.”_ _

__“How so?”_ _

__Woojin is about to be engulfed in flames because of the embarrassment that creeps out of his skin. “Because it’s you and me.”_ _

__Jihoon goes quiet for a few moments before Woojin feels a hand searching for his under the covers. He finds Jihoon’s hand before Jihoon can find his, and gently wraps his hand around the other’s._ _

__“You’re so damn cheesy, Park Woojin.”_ _

__“Don’t embarrass me.”_ _

__“Hey, lovebirds,” Guanlin grumbles quietly from his bed, “If you’re gonna flirt, at least be quiet so we can sleep.”_ _

__Jihoon snickers. “Good night, Woojin.”_ _

__“Night.” Woojin says, and then the warmth that Jihoon’s body was providing begins to slowly dissipate as the cold air from the room replaces it as he moves to get up from Woojin’s bed. “Hey, Jihoon?”_ _

__Jihoon turns back around, eyebrows raised in question._ _

__“I like you.”_ _

__A smile blossoms on Jihoon’s face and Woojin can literally feel the swell of happiness in his chest as Jihoon whispers back, “I like you too, Woojin.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> this took me forever to write mostly because i lack motivation, am lazy, and am always in a constant state of suffering because of school but what else is new?


End file.
